


Open Arms

by Kalira



Category: Naruto
Genre: Birthday, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hugs, KakaGai Week 2019, Kid Fic, M/M, Orochimaru is Kakashi's Mama, a bit of sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22018543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: Gai is prepared to face his first birthday alone with all the bravery he knows his father would have been proud of, but . . . his best friend, and his family, are waiting with open and insistent arms to celebrate it with him.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Comments: 14
Kudos: 144
Collections: KakaGai Week 2019 entries, Kalira's KakaGai Week Stories (2019)





	Open Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [KakaGai Week](https://kkgweek.tumblr.com/post/185755931741), Day 8: Gai's Birthday

Gai turned onto his side, looking at the sunlight creeping across the floor. It was. . . It was his birthday. And another year.

He bit his lip, screwing his face up a little, fighting the aching burn behind his eyes.

It would be the first year without his Dad.

It took him a long time to brave sliding out of bed, but he didn’t let himself stop once he had, dressing and rolling up his futon neatly for the day, then heading into the kitchen alone. He poked around a little, pulling out the rice, then jumped as someone knocked at the door.

He turned around, hesitating, and flinched as his gaze slid across the calendar pinned up near the kitchen doorway. He hurried to the front door, wondering if perhaps it was his jounin-sensei or one of his teammates or-

“Kakashi!” Gai blinked. “Ah, hello?”

“Happy birthday, Gai.” Kakashi said, and reached out as Gai took half a step back from surprise, catching his hand. “Hey. I know you’re sad,” he said, and Gai fought to clear his expression, “but you’re not going to be alone.”

Gai opened his mouth, but couldn’t quite find words. Kakashi squeezed his hand, smiling. “. . .Kakashi?”

“Come on.” Kakashi tugged at him, and Gai slipped his sandals on and stepped outside. “I know it’s. . .” he trailed off, squeezing Gai’s hand. “Come with me.” he said instead, and Gai nodded, letting Kakashi lead him across the village on the familiar path towards the Hatake compound.

“You. . . You didn’t have to. . .” Gai began, tightening his grip on Kakashi’s hand without thinking.

Kakashi bumped their shoulders together. “I’d have come get you yesterday, but I only just got back from a mission. Otouto would have, but he wasn’t sure if he should bother you.”

“Your brother doesn’t bother me.” Gai said, smiling a little. Tenzou shadowed Kakashi with open adoration for his aniki, and Gai thought it was very cute.

Kakashi smiled at Gai over his shoulder again, and Gai’s own widened a little. Then he bit his lip, uncertain. “Ah, Kakashi? Why are you. . .”

“Here!” Kakashi tugged him on a little faster, and Gai fell silent, trotting along beside him up the path to the Hatake house. A pale blue snake lifted their head as Gai and Kakashi passed, hissing a soft greeting. Gai waved but didn’t try to stop as Kakashi pulled him in through the door.

“I brought him!” Kakashi called, toeing off his sandals, and Gai ducked his head, following suit.

“Ah, Gai-kun.”

Gai looked up again as Kakashi’s mother spoke, then bowed as he returned the greeting politely.

“Happy birthday, and welcome.” Gai startled as he was drawn into a warm embrace, then relaxed as Orochimaru hugged him firmly. Orochimaru stroked the back of his head, then released him, smiling down at Gai warmly. “We’re glad to have you here.”

“Thank you, Orochimaru-sama.” Gai said as he stepped back.

He nearly bumped into Kakashi, who took his hand again, this time hooking their arms together. “Dad’s cooking!”

“Oh, really?” Gai asked, following Kakashi into the kitchen. “Hello Sakumo-sama.”

“Gai-kun! Happy birthday!” Sakumo said brightly, all but tossing aside the spoon he was holding and sweeping across the kitchen to pull Gai into a tight hug. Gai’s breath caught, and he clenched his jaw as he pressed into the hug.

It reminded him of his own father, and Gai buried his face in Sakumo’s shoulder. “Thank you, Sakumo-sama.” he mumbled.

Sakumo rubbed his back, kneeling before him and hugging him a little tighter. “There, it’s all right, Gai-kun.” he said softly, swaying a little. “Lovely, would you- Thank you.”

Gai clung to Sakumo for a few minutes before drawing back shyly, and Sakumo ruffled his hair, smiling gently. Orochimaru stood at the stove now in Sakumo’s place, and Kakashi was waiting at Gai’s shoulder when he moved back a little more.

“Gai!”

“Tenzou-kun! Hello!” Gai greeted, rubbing his inner wrist over his face in case any of the tears he’d felt threatening had spilt.

“Happy birthday!” Tenzou called, flinging his arms around Gai and making him laugh as he rocked on his heels from the impact.

“Thank you!”

“Yes, very good, cublings.” Orochimaru said lightly, shooing them towards the table as he passed the spoon back to Sakumo. “Why don’t we sit for breakfast?”

Kakashi tugged Gai to the opposite side of the table as Tenzou hopped up into a chair on the side nearest the stove. Orochimaru brought over several dishes, then seated himself at one end, and Sakumo followed suit at the other.

There was quite a spread for breakfast - much more than he would have made for himself, than he would have been _able_ to make alone - including a dish of natto Orochimaru placed directly beside Gai’s plate. He grinned and thanked Orochimaru for it, knowing no one else at the table actually liked it, particularly at breakfast. Kakashi passed him a cup of juice, and as Gai ate Kakashi’s parents refilled his plate assiduously until he finally waved them off insistently, laughing a little.

As Orochimaru began clearing the table Tenzou wheedled to play a game. Kakashi deferred the choice to Gai, and Tenzou turned huge dark eyes on him pleadingly. Gai shook his head a little, grinning, and they retreated to the main room to play, unfolding the board between them on a bare section of the floor. A few minutes later Orochimaru appeared with an armful of blankets, tsking as he draped one around each of them.

Gai only hummed contentedly as he wrapped it a little more snugly around himself, but Tenzou wriggled and nearly buried himself in his own.

The game took until nearly midday to reach an end - Kakashi won - and then Kakashi agreed to spar with Gai in the back garden before lunch. Tenzou settled himself nearby and closed his eyes, face screwing up with concentration. Gai kept an eye on the mokuton he summoned up, restless and messy and occasionally unpredictable, but otherwise ignored Tenzou as he and Kakashi darted back and forth through the snow.

It was really, Gai realised as Kakashi dropped snow on his head, more playing than sparring. It wasn’t . . . training as he should be focused on, but it was still fun, and Gai couldn’t bring himself to complain or try to make it a more serious competition, just now.

After lunch Gai found himself back in the main room of the house, urged over to the plush cushions near the irori - Kakashi settled happily near him and this time they shared a blanket, Kakashi warm and snug at his left side. Gai was surprised to be plied with presents, and tried to insist it was unnecessary - they had already done quite enough for him, not only today but habitually - but it was always difficult to resist Kakashi’s parents . . . and Gai couldn’t really muster the stubbornness necessary today.

Once Gai had opened the last gift - a book of heroic adventure stories - he looked up to see Sakumo tugging Tenzou over to himself, murmuring in his ear. Tenzou hopped up and darted into the kitchen only to return a few moments later carrying a cake on a carefully-balanced tray.

After the solid lunch and then the cake Gai was too stuffed to want to move, and they remained there talking, but he must have eventually dozed off. He woke up slowly to a dim room and cosy warmth around him. He shifted a little and realised he was lying mostly on top of Kakashi, wound up in the blanket they’d been sharing, and shook his head, apologising.

“It’s all right.” Kakashi said, then yawned, showing off his sharp teeth with his mask still down. He hadn’t eaten _much_ cake, and after his few bites he’d made a face before passing the rest of his serving to Gai, but he’d taken his mask down and not bothered to put it back up. “Come back. You’re warm.” he said sleepily, reaching for Gai

Gai blinked at his friend, then slowly sank back down, beside him rather than sprawled across him this time. He brought the thick blanket that had been over them both back as well, and turned onto his side as he tugged it up over Kakashi.

Kakashi yawned again, eyes heavy-lidded, and Gai remembered that he’d said he’d been on a mission and had just gotten back. “If you need to rest. . .”

“I’m all right.” Kakashi said firmly, but he nudged a little closer to Gai all the same, curled in the heaps of plush cushions. “Are you having a good birthday?” he asked quietly, and Gai smiled.

“I . . . yeah. I really am. Thanks, Kakashi.” Gai said softly, and Kakashi hugged him, nestling close. “Your family is. . .”

“Good.” Kakashi said, nuzzling his cheek.

He was cosy and comfortable, and Gai found himself too content to move, really. They spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the irori, right up until Tenzou fetched them for dinner. Orochimaru had made a _wonderfully_ spicy udon with a wide variety of vegetables, and after they ate Sakumo insisted that Gai stay for the night as well.

Gai wasn’t too _tired_ to protest, but he _wanted_ to stay, at least for tonight, too much to even try. He agreed without a fight, letting himself be shooed off to take a bath with a last ruffle of his hair while Kakashi went to his room to unroll both his own futon and another for Gai.

**Author's Note:**

> . . .and that brings me to the end of another KakaGai Week! I intended to write for this months ago, and if I had perhaps I would have written some longer pieces, but I hope my shorts were enjoyable!
> 
> Come say hello or chat fandom with me on [Tumblr](http://kalira9.tumblr.com/) or [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/Kalira)!


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